Rebirth
by Beacon
Summary: After all they had been through, Oma and Shu thought they could rest in the Spirit World forever. However the world has other plans for them. Implied Zutara


AN: OMG I'M ALIVE? LIKE, NO WAY! … Now that that's out of my system, Hi everyone! It's been a while, huh? Sorry for the long wait, I was at summer camp and had so little time to write and absolutely no access to a computer, and then I got back and I had soccer tryouts and then pre-season, and now school's starting, and oh boy, the list just goes on and on! But I'm back with a brand new one-shot, WHEEEE!

But before I get into my explantation, I need to address a serious topic. A couple weeks ago, I got a very nasty flame, telling me that Zutara sucked and it should die, on a story that I plan out stated that it was Zutara and that if people didn't like it, they shouldn't read it, let alone review. Honestly, I respect your opinions, so please respect mine.

Right, so the story. I've always kind of been intrigued with the idea of Oma and Shu and Zutara, so I tried my own take on it. Please enjoy

Rebirth

Oma had always liked the Spirit World. It was a peaceful, happy place, excepting of all who found their way in and chose to stay, offered protection to spirits when the world of the living was too dangerous, and held a special place for those who had made a difference in the world. But what Oma liked about the Spirit World the most, was she had finally been reunited with Shu. She had spent too little time with him while she had been alive, and too long of a time grieving for him once he had died.

As Oma had grown older, she had often wondered what she had left living for; the war had ended, happily for most, and a great city had been built in the place of once two small and weak villages had lay. So, what did she have left to do? And yet when Oma had actually died, she had been lost, her spirit afraid and unsure of where to go until she felt a gentle brush, such a familiar and yet distant memory of life, and slowly she followed the gentle urging of the other spirit and finally into the arms of Shu, waiting for her at the entrance of the Spirit World.

They had been together since, living in the Spirit World, catching up on all the time they had missed together, happy to finally be away from hate, anger and fear that the living world held and live in the quiet confines of the Spirit World.

And it was like that for a good few centuries.

Until a new war broke out, more terrible than any other had ever been, killing hundreds of thousands of people within the first few decades, and yet the war did not cease. It grew more terrible with each year, and soon, after nearly a whole century had passed the Spirit World grew concerned. Neither world could exist without the other, and finally the gods came to a decision.

'What do you think they want?' Oma asked nervously, hand tightening around Shu's as they stood in front of the spirit palace. Shu smiled softly and squeezed Oma's hand reassuringly.

'Nothing too big, I'm sure. You don't need to worry, whatever it is, we'll get through it together.' Oma smiled a bit too. Calm sensible Shu, always keeping her in line whenever she became too rash, or her temper flared. While Shu had a temper himself, he normally was able to control it enough to calm other people.

Together, they carefully made their way up the steps in into the royal meeting room, in which all of the previous Avatar's held council. Oma shifted closer to Shu, and again his gripe tightened on her hand, gently reassuring her. At the head of the hall, Roku stood, at his side, Kyoshi sat, fans resting her lap and painted face serious.

"Oma, Shu, we are glad you two have joined us," Roku's voice boomed out across the great hall, and the two spirits trembled with it's power. "Unfortunately the matter we have to discuss is not a pleasant subject.

"As you know, the war in the living war has gone on too long, and has been far too terrible to ignore, and so we have finally come to a conclusion. A conclusion that involves you two."

'But what could we possibly do? We've already lived our lives on earth, we can't return as we were.' Shu spoke up, almost angrily. 'What could we ever do to help the world now?'

"It is true that you two have lived your lives on earth already, and you deserve your rest, but consider that which you accomplished while you were alive." Kyoshi spoke up from her spot next to Roku. "You ended a war, not too unlike this one. We need you again."

'But that war was much smaller, and what could we possibly do? Our powers aren't enough to stop a war of this size!' Oma cried, as she looked imploringly up at the past Avatar's. 'Please, let us remain here.'

"The choice is not yours to make!" Kyoshi's voice boomed out across the hall, and Oma and She cringed slightly. Kyoshi took a breath to calm herself and then looked more calmly, almost tenderly, at the two. "I know it's hard to under stand now, but your love had the strength to stop one war before." The female Avatar closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, not saying anything more.

It was silent in the great hall for a moment, and then Shu carefully ventured, 'So what do you want us to do?'

"All you two need to worry about doing is finding one another, after that, you two will find a way to end the war. We all have faith in you." An old Avatar spoke up from their left. Her ancient Fire Nation robes fell gently about her figure and her bright eyes sparkled gently.

'We'll be separated? But we've already been separated for so long. Can't we remain together?' Oma begged, eyes pleading as she looked around at all the past Avatars. When she got no reply, she shrunk back against Shu, who slipped his arm around her.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only solution. We regret that we must separate you two again, but this is a time of crisis for both worlds. Right now, we depend on you." A younger Avatar from the Water Nation spoke up. Oma looked up at him, opened her mouth, and then closed it.

She looked up at Shu again. She carefully traced his face with her eyes. Dark hair that had grown out in his youth still flopped around his shoulders, and his surprising sharp eyes looked steadily up at the Avatars, the green-blue color reflecting his emotions. His nose was gentle for a man, (more cute than strong, Oma had always thought) and when his was angry, his mouth became a hard line of determination. All these things Oma forced into her memory and held them close, looking at them over and over in her mind to make sure she never forgot, and then she opened her eyes and looked up to the past Avatar's.

'We agree.' She said finally. Shu looked down surprised at her, and then nodded.

"Thank you Shu, Oma, we do appreciate this." Roku boomed out, and the council of Avatar's breathed a collective sigh through out the hall.

Oma turned and looked up at Shu, 'I don't know when I'll be able to see you again, or even talk to you,' She took a breath and linked her arms around his back, resting her head against his chest. 'But I promise I'll always look for you, and I promise I'll find you, no matter how long it takes.'

Shu smiled softly and kissed the top of Oma's head. 'You know I'll always be waiting for you.' He lifted her chin gently. 'I know we'll meet again; you're the only person I could ever live with. I love you Oma.'

Oma smiled too, a little mournfully, but a smile nonetheless. 'I love you too, Shu.' She felt a tug at her spirit, and Oma turned to see the female Avatar who had spoken earlier, gently holding her hand out to Oma.

"Come," was the silent command that boomed in her head, and Oma followed, only glancing back once to see Shu be taken by the Water Tribe bender who had also spoken.

Oma followed the small Avatar obediently out of the Spirit World, the path was dark and the only way she didn't stumble was the gentle hand of the Avatar holding her own. As they walked, Oma remembered her life, how hard she had worked to see Omashu built, how she had watched as families were created where there had once been hate, and she remembered how incredibly lonely she had been. How envious she had been of her friends who had children, and how she had longed for her own.

"Here. We're here." The old Avatar spoke gently, bringing Oma out of her thoughts, and Oma looked around startled. It was the bedroom of a great palace and in the bed a young woman lay, her belly swollen and eyes closed from exhaustion. Around her servants stood, one holding her hand and talking to her gently, helping her through childbirth. "This baby that is about to be born will be you." The Avatar whispered in Oma's ear.

And as the baby finally appeared and rested in his mother's arms, Oma felt a tug on her spirit and she was slipping down, down toward the child who was sleeping in his mother's arms. And Oma's last thought was of Shu and her promise.

xXx

Zuko couldn't help it; the feeling was getting stronger, thrumming in the back of his head and heart like a pulse. '_Here, here, here, here._' But what? The Avatar, yes that was what he was looking for, but the pulse was something different, searching for something different. A light suddenly shot up nearby, filling the sky. "The Avatar!" Zuko smirked, finally.

'_Finally, finally, finally_' The beat inside of Zuko's mind and body replied, but not for the Avatar, it was for someone else. Zuko shook himself. Now wasn't the time for this. Zuko scanned the glaciers, the tall walls of ice and snow that surrounded his small boat. He knew this place well, he had come here a couple of times before, a desire which he could not explain kept bringing him back here, searching, searching, searching for something. Something that was not known to him.

xXx

The Water Clan that Zuko finally caught the Avatar in was small, only one boy defended the village, and all that was left in it were woman and children. And a girl. Brown hair swept her back in a long braid, strong blue eyes reflecting anger and fear, her mouth a hard line of determination. And the voice inside Zuko screamed, '_Shu, Shu, Shu!_' But who Shu was, Zuko didn't know, because, (he found this out later), the girl's name was Katara.

Fin.

Please review! Thank you!


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